grief and amazement

walter brueggemann says that the role of the prophet is two fold - to evoke grief and create amazement. grief for what has been lost, and amazement for the new worlds that are possible.

over the last two grace evenings we have explored the prophet's story. i have enjoyed it (especially as i wasn't involved in planning!). both service outlines are in the grace archive - prophet story part 1 and prophet story part 2. i have been thinking about prophets recently and found steve's two reflections (inspired by walter brueggemann whose books on prophetic and hopeful imagination are simply brilliant) on grief (scroll down page and see intro under accepting the call) and hope from god very good indeed. here's a couple of snippets...

on grief...

the job of the prophet is not to announce fixes for the current system it's not to make realistic proposals realistic, of course, meaning - leaving the powers that be in power we can leave those proposals to the prophets of the royal consciousness, the ones who say that there's peace when there is no peace

the job of the true prophet is to announce the death of the current order the job of the true prophet is to announce that god cannot be bought by the regime and has the freedom to bring about endings

the true prophet calls us to grief grief for what must end and for our part in it grief is the most radical criticism...

and on hope...

we can be guilty of spreading optimism rather than hope optimism says that the world that we know can get better hope is about a new world

true hope is grounded in god who is outside all our human worlds and free to act and change them

this is where a prophet is not like a hero a hero acts a prophet points to god who will act

the prophet reminds us that there is an alternative because god can bring it about the prophet talks not just about the future but about the past reminding us of how god acted before reminding us of god's promises given in the past and waiting to be fulfilled reminding us of god's freedom as demonstrated in the history of god's people reminding us of god's covenant with us which the powers that be would like us to forget about

Love Bruggeman . .. grieving is the new norm in Japan where I live . . .a prevailing sadness for which there is no easy resolution ......

The sad news is:
1. Level 9 Earthquake
2. Devastating Tsunami along an extensive coastline
3. Fukushimi and Chernobyl now forever linked. The Result . . . Japan now has the equivalent of a very large and population intensive leper colony .....
4. State of Japanese Economy described officially as `severe`

...If one is looking for a silver lining, I guess this is an opportunity for an entire nation to redefine itself by drawing on its strengths to build a different kind of future. My bifocal prayer is: 1. God help those whose lives have been so terribly effected by the crises and 2: May we turn as a people to sustainable energy sources that are kind to people and the planet. AMEN

My question though .... where is the prophet in all of this?

Jonny Sorry for digression from Bruggeman, but i have had very little dialogue with people outside Japan and felt the impulse to place my grief someplace and you always provide a safe place . . .

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